Overview
If anyone has the know-how to transform a weary suburban pub into a go-to dining destination, it's Leigh McDivett and Clayton Ries. Not only did the pair have a huge hand in the Banksia Hotel's recent bistro revamp alongside celeb chef co-owner Colin Fassnidge, they're also western Sydney locals, having spent their childhoods kicking around in Northmead and Camden, respectively.
Moving on from Banksia Bistro, the pair has moved further west to helm the Monarch Group's latest project, the Macquarie Hotel. The Liverpool pub has received an aesthetic spruce and a new produce-driven food offering.
Headed up by McDivett, the kitchen's taking contemporary bistro dining up a few notches, across a menu of rejuvenated pub classics, crafty seasonal specials and desserts to drool over. Get excited for the likes of watermelon, chorizo, and Sriracha mayo salad, grilled whole leatherjacket with chard and pickled radicchio, and dreamy bacon ice cream pops.
In keeping with the menu's new-school vibe, the pub itself has all the makings of a modern-day local with sports on the big screens, a cheery assortment of happy hour specials, and a leafy, timber-decked al fresco space to rival any inner-city beer garden.
The Macquarie Hotel is now open at 269 Macquarie Street, Liverpool. For more info, visit macquarie-hotel.com.au.